I found this review of a year ago of the Pre-T1 and I personally think it is makes things more clear to me than the review in Hifi+...
http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/audiozone4/pretone.html
And what a beautiful photo's !
http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/audiozone4/pretone.html
And what a beautiful photo's !
Audio Sector Dac used with an Upsampling DIP
Hello anyone tried this..using the AS DAC with a Upsampler ..like the Monarchy or GW labs?
If not ..you should try it and be flabbergasted at the difference it makes.
I've always enjoyed my AS DAC. Recently I had a chance to try out a Modified Electrocompanient ECD-1. It basically crushed my little AS Dac on all fronts. I was quite dissapointed!
It should have ..it cost at least 10 times as much as I paid for my little AS unit.
I wasn't ready to give up on the little Dac just yet. So I started looking around to see if I could solve some of the differences I heard between it and the ECD-1.
I figured some of what I heard must be the deficiency of my transport. But at the same time this is the same transport I used with the ECD-1. !!
Then I remembered looking over the mods for the ECD-1. The modder mentions adding a Superclock 2 to the unit and increasing the signal strength to the Dac itself.
So my thinking was to add something with a more precise clock output and maybe a signal booster. I first purchased the basic Monarchy DIP that doesn't upsample. The improvements was profound!! I couldn't believe this is the same Dac with just a better signal..simply amazing!!
After reading over some reviews I had the itch to try the Upsampling Monarchy with the AS Dac.. Again big improvement. More air, space around instruments. It has a resolution I've only experienced with the Modified ECD-1. It makes every other front end I've owned sound blurred. The tonality of different instruments and their overtones show themselves now more than ever.
Anyone using this Dac with a basic DVD player or CD player..really needs to try this and hear for yourself. I still can't understand why a NON OS DAC sounds so damn good plugged into a upsampling processor.
Can anyone explain too me ...what's going on here?
Hello anyone tried this..using the AS DAC with a Upsampler ..like the Monarchy or GW labs?
If not ..you should try it and be flabbergasted at the difference it makes.
I've always enjoyed my AS DAC. Recently I had a chance to try out a Modified Electrocompanient ECD-1. It basically crushed my little AS Dac on all fronts. I was quite dissapointed!
It should have ..it cost at least 10 times as much as I paid for my little AS unit.
I wasn't ready to give up on the little Dac just yet. So I started looking around to see if I could solve some of the differences I heard between it and the ECD-1.
I figured some of what I heard must be the deficiency of my transport. But at the same time this is the same transport I used with the ECD-1. !!
Then I remembered looking over the mods for the ECD-1. The modder mentions adding a Superclock 2 to the unit and increasing the signal strength to the Dac itself.So my thinking was to add something with a more precise clock output and maybe a signal booster. I first purchased the basic Monarchy DIP that doesn't upsample. The improvements was profound!! I couldn't believe this is the same Dac with just a better signal..simply amazing!!
After reading over some reviews I had the itch to try the Upsampling Monarchy with the AS Dac.. Again big improvement. More air, space around instruments. It has a resolution I've only experienced with the Modified ECD-1. It makes every other front end I've owned sound blurred. The tonality of different instruments and their overtones show themselves now more than ever.
Anyone using this Dac with a basic DVD player or CD player..really needs to try this and hear for yourself. I still can't understand why a NON OS DAC sounds so damn good plugged into a upsampling processor.
Can anyone explain too me ...what's going on here?
r8833 said:
Thanks Rich for the reply. Glad to see there's another person trying this out. I had no idea this Dac was capable of what I hear from it now. It also made me rethink my speakers. I thought they might naturally roll of a bit or be less resolving. When in reality it was the source that was clouding the sound all of this time.
If you get a chance try the 48/96 upsampler with the AS Dac..you'll be impressed once again.
Good listening
They sell both.
http://www.monarchyaudio.com/
Peter, I hope we are not highjacking your thread too much. Given all the problems listed elsewhere with the 8420 chip used in the Monarchy box, I would be a bit leary right now.
http://www.monarchyaudio.com/
Peter, I hope we are not highjacking your thread too much. Given all the problems listed elsewhere with the 8420 chip used in the Monarchy box, I would be a bit leary right now.
Hello,
As pointed out above Monarchy sells the Classic and the 48/96 units. The 24/96 was the first upsampler to be manufactured. The 48/96 DIP is the newest version. I can't tell you why it sounds better ..it just does.
I don't mean slightly better either...I mean by a wide margin.
I sure haven't heard any problems from either unit I tried. You would truly have to be deaf not to hear the difference.
Bound for Sound did a review on the 48/96 unit. It explains how it works better than I can.
The differences I hear with each unit goes as follows. The Classic or 44.1 16 bit unit gives you more of a razor sharp image. The cymbals sound a tad bit harder. The bass seems to be pronounced more with the one I had.
The 48/96 24 bit run in 48khz upsampling of course gives a wider stage. There's more texture around instruments and the soundstage is slightly deeper than the Classic. I could live with either one. It just depends on what else you're using with the unit and the AS DAC.
I wouldn't dispel it until you try it. You'll soon hear what you've been missing. There's a clergy between these units and the AS DAC..I have no idea why..I just know I haven't heard anything quite like it for even remotely close to the combined price. If you can find a used one around $100 or so it is well worth it.
I know this unit combined the Burson HDAM buffer put my AS DAC in the Class with the $3500 Modified Electrocompaniet ECD-1 that I spent several weeks auditioning right here at home.. It's so close in sound to the ECD-1 now, I couldn't see spending the money on it... even if I could afford it.
I found the ECD-1 warmer and the AS DAC more neutral. The ECD-1 throws a slightly larger soundstage. But not large enough for me to pay the price for it. The AS DAC has slightly better resolution on string instruments and vocals. So it makes up some ground in other areas.
Hopefully this isn't looked upon as a hijack. As I only want others to hear just how good this DAC truly is.
As pointed out above Monarchy sells the Classic and the 48/96 units. The 24/96 was the first upsampler to be manufactured. The 48/96 DIP is the newest version. I can't tell you why it sounds better ..it just does.
I don't mean slightly better either...I mean by a wide margin.
I sure haven't heard any problems from either unit I tried. You would truly have to be deaf not to hear the difference.
Bound for Sound did a review on the 48/96 unit. It explains how it works better than I can.
The differences I hear with each unit goes as follows. The Classic or 44.1 16 bit unit gives you more of a razor sharp image. The cymbals sound a tad bit harder. The bass seems to be pronounced more with the one I had.
The 48/96 24 bit run in 48khz upsampling of course gives a wider stage. There's more texture around instruments and the soundstage is slightly deeper than the Classic. I could live with either one. It just depends on what else you're using with the unit and the AS DAC.
I wouldn't dispel it until you try it. You'll soon hear what you've been missing. There's a clergy between these units and the AS DAC..I have no idea why..I just know I haven't heard anything quite like it for even remotely close to the combined price. If you can find a used one around $100 or so it is well worth it.
I know this unit combined the Burson HDAM buffer put my AS DAC in the Class with the $3500 Modified Electrocompaniet ECD-1 that I spent several weeks auditioning right here at home.. It's so close in sound to the ECD-1 now, I couldn't see spending the money on it... even if I could afford it.
I found the ECD-1 warmer and the AS DAC more neutral. The ECD-1 throws a slightly larger soundstage. But not large enough for me to pay the price for it. The AS DAC has slightly better resolution on string instruments and vocals. So it makes up some ground in other areas.
Hopefully this isn't looked upon as a hijack. As I only want others to hear just how good this DAC truly is.
Re: Buffers
Not at all. I'm glad it works out as you describe. The potential of that DAC is tremendous and in the right environment it can compete with the best ;-)
The buffer kits have been available for a while now, sold directly only, not mentioned on a website yet.
http://www.audiostereo.pl/zalaczniki/428550_3.jpg
GHM said:Hopefully this isn't looked upon as a hijack. As I only want others to hear just how good this DAC truly is.
Not at all. I'm glad it works out as you describe. The potential of that DAC is tremendous and in the right environment it can compete with the best ;-)
rjkdivin said:
The buffer kits have been available for a while now, sold directly only, not mentioned on a website yet.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
http://www.audiostereo.pl/zalaczniki/428550_3.jpg
lohk said:
It may hardly be a good idea. But one must try it first and find out for one's self whether it's worth it or not.
I have another friend that has the GW Labs unit and the AS DAC. I'm waiting until he has a chance to test the GW labs and my Monarchy to see if there's much of a difference in his system. He's also having some impedance issues with his AS DAC and the Django passive volume control. So I sent my buffer along for the ride. Hopefully by Friday I'll know the results.
You are starting to remind me of the people back before Christopher Columbus's voyage that said the earth was flat. How can you constantly dispel something if you never try it?
Banned
Joined 2002
Let me put that clear: Upsampling from 44.1 to 48kHz mostly sounds worse, very rarely as good as before but never better! What an idea! 
No, I believe you, but the Monarchy must do some kind of jitter correction or reclocking, upsampling probably only by two. Otherwise it may sound different - but not better. Never, as a matter of principle.
No, I believe you, but the Monarchy must do some kind of jitter correction or reclocking, upsampling probably only by two. Otherwise it may sound different - but not better. Never, as a matter of principle.
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